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Targeting Tobacco In A Community-Based Addiction Recovery Cohort: Results From A Computerized, Brief, Randomized Intervention Trial, Alison Breland, Lauren Almond, Jennifer Kienzle, Steven J. Ondersma, Alton Hart, Michael Weaver, Pamela Dillon, Dace Svikis

Psychology Publications

Introduction. Nearly 80% of substance dependent individuals also use tobacco, and smoking cessation efforts during treatment for other substance use is associated with similar or even improved outcomes. However, smoking cessation is not routinely addressed during treatment for substance use disorders. The present study tested a computerized brief motivational intervention (C-BMI) for smoking cessation in an understudied population: a cohort recruited from a recovery community organization (RCO) center.

Methods. Following baseline assessment, participants were randomly assigned to either a 30-minute C-BMI plus access to free nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), or an information-only control group plus NRT access. Results. Reductions in …

The Lifelong Learning Institute In Chesterfield: Ten Years Of Growing, Edward F. Ansello, Monica Hughes

Case Studies from Age in Action

Educational Objectives

1. To review changes in patterns of continuing learning and non-traditional education.

2. To profile membership and their interests in lifelong learning.

3. To highlight the development of the Lifelong Learning Institute of Chesterfield as a possible model for replication.

Association Between Smoking And Health Outcomes In Postmenopausal Women Living With Multiple Sclerosis, Rachel Jawahar, Unsong Oh, Charles Eaton, Nicole Wright, Hilary Tindle, Kate L. Lapane

Family Medicine and Population Health Publications

Background. In multiple sclerosis (MS), symptom management and improved health-related quality of life (HrQOL) may be modified by smoking. Objective. To evaluate the extent to which smoking is associated with worsened health outcomes and HrQOL for postmenopausal women with MS. Methods. We identified 251 Women’s Health Initiative Observational Study participants with a self-reported MS diagnosis. Using a linear model, we estimated changes from baseline to 3 years for activities of daily living, total metabolic equivalent tasks (MET) hours per week, mental and physical component scales (MCS, PCS) of the SF-36, and menopausal symptoms adjusting for years since menopause and other …

Menorah Review (No. 80, Winter.Spring, 2014)

Menorah Review

Author's Reflections on Politics in the Bible -- Books in Brief: New and Notable -- Masada -- Nazism and Politics -- night trains -- Salvation Through Transgression -- Shoah: The "First" Day -- The "Jewish" World of Herbert Hoover

Virginia Commonwealth University Fall Commencement Program [2014], Virginia Commonwealth University

VCU Commencement Programs

No abstract provided.

Virginia Commonwealth University Commencement Program [2014], Virginia Commonwealth University

VCU Commencement Programs

No abstract provided.

Astroecology, Cosmo-Ecology, And The Future Of Life, Michael Noah Mautner

Chemistry Publications

Astroecology concerns the relations between life and space resources, and cosmo-ecology extrapolates these relations to cosmological scales. Experimental astroecology can quantify the amounts of life that can be derived from space resources. For this purpose, soluble carbon and electrolyte nutrients were measured in asteroid/meteorite materials. Microorganisms and plant cultures were observed to grow on these materials, whose fertilities are similar to productive agricultural soils. Based on measured nutrient contents, the 10²² kg carbonaceous asteroids can yield 10¹⁸ kg biomass with N and P as limiting nutrients (compared with the estimated 10¹⁵ kg biomass on Earth). These data …

A Test Of Spielberger’S State-Trait Theory Of Anger With Adolescents: Five Hypotheses, Colleen Quinn, David Rollock, Scott R. Vrana

Psychology Publications

Spielberger’s state-trait theory of anger was investigated in adolescents (n = 201, ages 10-18, 53% African American, 47% European American, 48% female) using Deffenbacher’s five hypotheses formulated to test the theory in adults. Self-reported experience, heart rate (HR), systolic blood pressure (SBP), and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) responses to anger provoking imagery scripts found strong support for the application of this theory to adolescents. Compared to the low trait anger (LTA) group, adolescents with high trait anger (HTA) produced increased HR, SBP and DBP, and greater self-report of anger to anger imagery (intensity hypothesis) but not greater self-report or cardiovascular …

Efficacy Of Reach Forgiveness Across Cultures, Yin Lin, Everett L. Worthington, Brandon J. Griffin, Chelsea L. Greer, Annabella Opare-Henaku, Caroline R. Lavelock, Joshua N. Hook, Man Yee Ho, Holly Muller

Psychology Publications

Across cultures, most people agree that forgiveness is a virtue. However, culture may influence how willing one should be to forgive and how one might express forgiveness. At a university in the United States, we recruited both foreign-extraction students and domestic students (N = 102) to participate in a six-hour REACH Forgiveness intervention. We investigated the efficacy of the intervention overall as well as whether foreign-extraction and domestic students responded differently to treatment. Forgiveness was assessed using two measures—decisional forgiveness and emotional forgiveness. The six-hour REACH Forgiveness intervention improved participants’ ratings of emotional forgiveness, but not decisional forgiveness, regardless of …

Smoking And Major Depressive Disorder In Chinese Women, Qiang He, Lei Yang, Shenxun Shi, Jingfang Gao, Ming Tao, Kerang Zhang, Chengge Gao, Lijun Yang, Kan Li, Jianguo Shi, Gang Wang, Lanfen Liu, Jinbei Zhang, Bo Du, Guoqing Jiang, Jianhua Shen, Zhen Zhang, Wei Liang, Jing Sun, Jian Hu, Tiebang Liu, Xueyi Wang, Guodong Miao, Huaqing Meng, Yi Li, Chunmei Hu, Yi Li, Guoping Huang, Gongying Li, Baowei Ha, Hong Deng, Qiyi Mei, Hui Zhong, Shugui Gao, Hong Sang, Yutang Zhang, Xiang Fang, Fengyu Yu, Donglin Yang, Tieqiao Liu, Yunchun Chen, Xiaohong Hong, Wenyuan Wu, Guibing Chen, Min Cai, Yan Song, Jiyang Pan, Jicheng Dong, Runde Pan, Wei Zhang, Zhenming Shen, Zhengrong Liu, Danhua Gu, Xiaoping Wang, Ying Liu, Xiaojuan Liu, Qiwen Zhang, Yihan Li, Yiping Chen, Kenneth S. Kendler, Xumei Wang, Youhui Li, Jonathan Flint

Psychiatry Publications

Objective

To investigate the risk factors that contribute to smoking in female patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) and the clinical features in depressed smokers.

Methods

We examined the smoking status and clinical features in 6120 Han Chinese women with MDD (DSM-IV) between 30 and 60 years of age across China. Logistic regression was used to determine the association between clinical features of MDD and smoking status and between risk factors for MDD and smoking status.

Results

Among the recurrent MDD patients there were 216(3.6%) current smokers, 117 (2.0%) former smokers and 333(5.6%) lifetime smokers. Lifetime smokers had a slightly …

Associations Of Educational Attainment, Occupation, Social Class And Major Depressive Disorder Among Han Chinese Women, Jianguo Shi, Yan Zhang, Feihu Liu, Yajuan Li, Junhui Wang, Jonathan Flint, Jingfang Gao, Youhui Li, Ming Tao, Kerang Zhang, Xumei Wang, Chengge Gao, Lijun Yang, Kan Li, Shenxun Shi, Gang Wang, Lanfen Liu, Jinbei Zhang, Bo Du, Guoqing Jiang, Jianhua Shen, Zhen Zhang, Wei Liang, Jing Sun, Jian Hu, Tiebang Liu, Xueyi Wang, Guodong Miao, Huaqing Meng, Yi Li, Chunmei Hu, Yi Li, Guoping Huang, Gongying Li, Baowei Ha, Hong Deng, Qiyi Mei, Hui Zhong, Shugui Gao, Hong Sang, Yutang Zhang, Xiang Fang, Fengyu Yu, Donglin Yang, Tieqiao Liu, Yunchun Chen, Xiaohong Hong, Wenyuan Wu, Guibing Chen, Min Cai, Yan Song, Jiyang Pan, Jicheng Dong, Runde Pan, Wei Zhang, Zhenming Shen, Zhengrong Liu, Danhua Gu, Xiaoping Wang, Xiaojuan Liu, Qiwen Zhang, Yihan Li, Yiping Chen, Kenneth S. Kendler

Psychiatry Publications

Background

The prevalence of major depressive disorder (MDD) is higher in those with low levels of educational attainment, the unemployed and those with low social status. However the extent to which these factors cause MDD is unclear. Most of the available data comes from studies in developed countries, and these findings may not extrapolate to developing countries. Examining the relationship between MDD and socio economic status in China is likely to add to the debate because of the radical economic and social changes occurring in China over the last 30 years.

Principal findings

We report results from 3,639 Chinese women …

Virginia Commonwealth University Graduate And Professional Programs Bulletin Courses [2014], Virginia Commonwealth University

VCU Bulletins

Listing of professional and graduate courses for 2014-2015.

Al-Qaeda’S Media Strategy: Internet Self-Radicalization And Counter-Radicalization Policies, Rebecca L. Earnhardt

L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs Publications

Al-Qaeda was initially formed not as a terrorist organization, but as an independent Islamist military faction (Bergen & Cruickshank, 2012). The organization evolved around the ideology of the central and supreme leader Osama bin Laden (Bergen & Cruickshank, 2012). However, the ability for the group to change and adapt to different environments and cultures has allowed for the organization to spread especially to Western audiences (Bergen & Cruickshank, 2012). The evolution of their media strategy is the epitome of how al-Qaeda is adaptable (Torres, Jordán, & Horsburgh, 2006). The shift from centralized distribution of pamphlets to video and audio tapes …

If You Can, You Can, Grace E. Harris Leadership Institute, Virginia Commonwealth University, Amy Chesky, Rima Franklin, Sandra Fritton, Alena Hampton, Demetrius Shambley, Gokhan Yucel

L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs Publications

VCU distinguishes itself as being one of Virginia’s most diverse institutions of higher education. This project seeks to support and extend this wonderful attribute by encouraging a climate of equity and inclusiveness. If You Can, You Can creates a common platform and language in support of the university’s mission to address disparities concerning equality and inclusiveness, and provides a model that is useful in promoting all dimensions of diversity. In addition to developing this overarching model, Team Real Connections worked with the VCU Athletics department to implement a prototype program called “If you can play, you can play,” which promotes …

A Racial Impact Analysis Of Hb 994: Human Trafficking, Grace E. Harris Leadership Institute, Virginia Commonwealth University, Staci Boone, Traci Deshazor, Selonia Miles, Katina Williams

L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs Publications

Human Trafficking has become an international crisis that has caused a devastating impact on the Commonwealth of Virginia. The purpose of this report is to examine the racial equity impact of Virginia House Bill 944. HB 994 was introduced to the House by Delegate Barbara Comstock, along with 13 other members of the House and was passed by the House of Delegates and was Passed Indefinitely in Courts of Justice with letter in 2014. This Bill, as initially introduced, would have made it a felony to participate in Human Trafficking by expanding the definition of abduction/kidnapping. It also would have …

An Annotated Review Of Scholarship: Partnerships For Community-Engaged Teaching And Learning, Division Of Community Engagement

Division of Community Engagement Resources

This series of 22 annotations of scholarly products published between 2006 through 2013 seeks to clearly define partnerships and collaboration. The document helps to illuminate the Division of Community Engagement’s mission to mobilize partnerships and advance the university’s strategic plan, Quest for Distinction. These annotations will provide a resource to community-engaged faculty at VCU and other higher education institutions.

Qualitative Inquiry In An Age Of Educationalese, Gustavo F. Fischman, Adai Tefera

Foundations of Education Publications

In this introduction we reflect on two key questions that initiated this special issue on qualitative inquiry: What can qualitative researchers do to regain their post-paradigm-wars cache? How do we avoid distracting “science wars” in the future? We suggest that the strong tendency to narrow the research methods accepted as “scientific” – because they adopt quantitative perspectives and are presumed a priori to be more rigorous – has created an educationalese, a narrative of rigid categories that has not necessarily contributed to more effective or persuasive educational research. The article ends by suggesting that the use of “knowledge mobilization” strategies …

Using Surveillance Data To Inform Community Action: The Effect Of Alcohol Sale Restrictions On Intentional Injury-Related Ambulance Pickups, Saba W. Masho, Diane L. Bishop, Torey Edmonds, Albert D. Farrell

Family Medicine and Population Health Publications

Youth violence disproportionately affects inner city, urban minority communities in the USA. This article illustrates the use of surveillance data to inform and evaluate community action directed at this serious problem. Community efforts in response to surveillance data indicating high rates of violence surrounding convenience stores with unrestricted alcohol beverage licenses provided a natural experiment to examine the impact of imposing licensing restrictions on intentional injury rates. Rates of ambulance pickups for intentional injuries in the 15- to 24-year-old population in five census tracts where alcoholic beverage sales were restricted were compared to five census tracts with similar demographic characteristics …

Decision Performance And Safety Performance: A Value-Focused Thinking Study In The Oil Industry, Jason R. W. Merrick, Martha Grabowski

Statistical Sciences and Operations Research Publications

Considerable research has been performed to develop leading indicators of safety performance. We use value-focused thinking to understand the objectives and evaluation measures that frame a particular safety-related decision within an organization. These decisions are part of the safety culture. Our research partners were two oil shipping companies; we surveyed crewmembers on their tankers to evaluate performance in each decision objective on their vessel. We demonstrate that measurements of the achievement of these objectives are related to future safety performance and thus provide leading indicators of safety.

Some Reflections On Meditation Research And Consciousness Studies, Jonathan Shear

Philosophy Publications

No abstract provided.

The Omega-3 Fatty Acid Eicosapentaenoic Acid Is Required For Normal Alcohol Response Behaviors In C. Elegans, Richard C. Raabe, Laura D. Mathies, Andrew G. Davies, Jill C. Bettinger

Pharmacology and Toxicology Publications

Alcohol addiction is a widespread societal problem, for which there are few treatments. There are significant genetic and environmental influences on abuse liability, and understanding these factors will be important for the identification of susceptible individuals and the development of effective pharmacotherapies. In humans, the level of response to alcohol is strongly predictive of subsequent alcohol abuse. Level of response is a combination of counteracting responses to alcohol, the level of sensitivity to the drug and the degree to which tolerance develops during the drug exposure, called acute functional tolerance. We use the simple and well-characterized nervous system of Caenorhabditis …

Identifying Perceived Barriers To Monitoring Service Quality Among Substance Abuse Treatment Providers In South Africa, Bronwyn Myers, Zainoisa Petersen, Rehana Kader, J Randy Koch, Ron Manderscheid, Rajen Govender, Charles Dh Parry

Psychology Publications

Background

A performance measurement system is planned for South African substance abuse treatment services. Provider-level barriers to implementing these systems have been identified in the United States, but little is known about the nature of these barriers in South Africa. This study explored the willingness of South African substance abuse treatment providers’ to adopt a performance measurement system and perceived barriers to monitoring service quality that would need to be addressed during system development.

Methods

Three focus group discussions were held with treatment providers from two of the nine provinces in South Africa. These providers represented the diverse spread of …

Forgiveness Of In-Group Offenders In Christian Congregations, Chelsea L. Greer, Everett L. Worthington, Daryl R. Van Tongeren, Aubrey L. Gartner, David J. Jennings, Yin Lin, Caroline R. Lavelock, Todd W. Greer, Man Yee Ho

Psychology Publications

Religious communities, like other communities, are ripe for interpersonal offenses. We examined the degree to which group identification predicted forgiveness of an in-group offender. We examined the effects of a victim’s perception of his or her religious group identification as a state-specific personal variable on forgiveness by integrating Social Identity Theory into a model of Relational Spirituality (Davis, Hook, & Worthington, 2008) to help explain victim’s responses to transgressions within a religious context. Data were collected from members of Christian congregations from the mid-west region of the United States (Study 1, N = 63), and college students belonging to Christian …

Carrying The World With The Grace Of A Lady And The Grit Of A Warrior: Deepening Our Understanding Of The “Strong Black Woman” Schema, Jasmine A. Abrams, Morgan Maxwell, Michell Pope, Faye Z. Belgrave

Psychology Publications

Across varied disciplines, attempts have been made to capture the multidimensionality of Black womanhood under a unifying framework illustrative of Black women’s perceived roles, responsibilities, and experiences of intersectional oppression. The result has been the emergence of a number of divergent but overlapping constructs (e.g., Superwoman Schema, Sojourner Truth Syndrome, Sisterella Complex, and Strong Black Woman [SBW] Schema). The goal of our study is to integrate overlapping attributes of existing constructs beneath a single term while also expounding upon the defining characteristics of the SBW Schema. Thematic analyses were conducted with data gathered from eight focus groups with 44 Black …

Why Is Low Waist-To-Chest Ratio Attractive In Males? The Mediating Roles Of Perceived Dominance, Fitness, And Protection Ability, Anthony E. Coy, Jeffrey D. Green, Michael E. Price

Psychology Publications

Past research suggests that a lower waist-to-chest ratio (WCR) in men (i.e., narrower waist and broader chest) is viewed as attractive by women. However, little work has directly examined why low WCRs are preferred. The current work merged insights from theory and past research to develop a model examining perceived dominance, fitness, and protection ability as mediators of to WCR-attractiveness relationship. These mediators and their link to both short-term (sexual) and long-term (relational) attractiveness were simultaneously tested by having 151 women rate one of 15 avatars, created from 3D body scans. Men with lower WCR were perceived as more physically …

Parental Strain, Mental Health Problems, And Parenting Practices: A Longitudinal Study, Alicia Borre, Wendy L. Kliewer

Psychology Publications

Although poor parenting practices place youth living in under resourced communities at heightened risk for adjustment difficulties, less is known about what influences parenting practices in those communities. The present study examines prospective linkages between three latent constructs: parental strain, mental health problems and parenting practices. Parental victimization by community violence and life stressors were indicative of parental strain; depressive, anxious, and hostile symptoms were indicators of parental mental health; and parental knowledge of their child’s activities and child disclosure were indicators of parenting practices. Interviews were conducted annually for 3 waves with 316 female caregivers (92% African American) parenting …

Cyberbullying Among Adolescents: Measures In Search Of A Construct, Krista R. Mehari, Albert D. Farrell, Anh-Thuy H. Le

Psychology Publications

Objective: This review focuses on the literature on cyberbullying among adolescents. Currently, there is no unified theoretical framework to move the field of cyberbullying forward. Due to some unique features of cyberbullying, researchers have generally assumed that it is distinct from aggression perpetrated in person. Many measures of cyberbullying have been developed based on this assumption rather than to test competing models and inform a theoretical framework for cyberbullying. Approach: We review current theory and research on cyberbullying within the context of the broader literature on aggression to explore the usefulness of the assumption that cyberbullying represents a distinct form …

Efficacy Of A Workbook To Promote Forgiveness: A Randomized Controlled Trial With University Students, Quandrea Harper, Everett L. Worthington, Brandon J. Griffin, Caroline R. Lavelock, Joshua N. Hook, Scott Vrana, Chelsea Greer

Psychology Publications

Objective

The present study investigated the efficacy of a 6-hour self-directed workbook adapted from the REACH Forgiveness intervention.

Method

Undergraduates (N = 41) were randomly assigned to either an immediate treatment or waitlist control condition. Participants were assessed across 3 time periods using a variety of forgiveness outcome measures.

Results

The 6-hour workbook intervention increased forgiveness, as indicated by positive changes in participants’ forgiveness ratings that differed by condition. In addition, benchmarking analysis showed that the self-directed workbook intervention is at least as efficacious as the delivery of the REACH Forgiveness model via group therapy.

Conclusion

A self-directed workbook …

Childhood Sexual Abuse And The Development Of Recurrent Major Depression In Chinese Women, Jing Chen, Yiyun Cai, Enzhao Cong, Ying Liu, Jingfang Gao, Youhui Li, Ming Tao, Kerang Zhang, Xumei Wang, Chengge Gao, Lijun Yang, Kan Li, Jianguo Shi, Gang Wang, Lanfen Liu, Jinbei Zhang, Bo Du, Guoqing Jiang, Jianhua Shen, Zhen Zhang, Wei Liang, Jing Sun, Jian Hu, Tiebang Liu, Xueyi Wang, Guodong Miao, Huaqing Meng, Yi Li, Guoping Huang, Gongying Li, Baowei Ha, Hong Deng, Qiyi Mei, Hui Zhong, Shugui Gao, Hong Sang, Yutang Zhang, Xiang Fang, Fengyu Yu, Donglin Yang, Tieqiao Liu, Yunchun Chen, Xiaohong Hong, Danhua Gu, Xiaoping Wang, Xiaojuan Liu, Qiwen Zhang, Yihan Li, Yiping Chen, Kenneth S. Kendler, Shenxun Shi, Jonathan Flint

Psychiatry Publications

Background

Our prior study in Han Chinese women has shown that women with a history of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) are at increased risk for developing major depression (MD). Would this relationship be found in our whole data set?

Method

Three levels of CSA (non-genital, genital, and intercourse) were assessed by self-report in two groups of Han Chinese women: 6017 clinically ascertained with recurrent MD and 5983 matched controls. Diagnostic and other risk factor information was assessed at personal interview. Odds ratios (ORs) were calculated by logistic regression.

Results

We confirmed earlier results by replicating prior analyses in 3,950 new …

Green Grass, High Cotton: Reflections On The Evolution Of The Journal Of Advertising, Leonard N. Reid

Richard T. Robertson School of Communication Presentations

This article reflects on my time as the fifth editor of the Journal of Advertising, makes observations about the evolution of scholarship in the Journal over the past decades, offers suggestions for how JA might advance in the coming years, and provides some “words of wisdom” to advertising researchers. Because it is the first in an invited article series of editor reflections, a bit of historical context is provided.